What is a fractional Head of Operations?

A fractional Head of Operations provides experienced operational leadership for an agreed amount of time or defined scope. It gives a charity access to senior capacity without immediately recruiting a permanent full-time employee.

What size charities do you support?

My services are primarily designed for small and growing UK charities that have moved beyond informal ways of working but are not yet ready to employ a permanent Head of Operations. Suitability is considered individually.

Can we begin with a one-off project?

Yes. You can begin with an Operations Health Check or a clearly defined implementation project without committing to ongoing support.

Can you guarantee that our charity is fully compliant?

No. The service provides operational review, coordination and implementation support. It does not constitute legal, financial, accountancy, HR, safeguarding or data-protection advice. Where specialist advice is needed, I will say so clearly.

Do you only produce recommendations?

No. A review can be commissioned on its own, but I can also provide implementation support to help turn recommendations into working systems, processes and responsibilities.

How much does support cost?

Support is scoped according to the organisation's size, complexity and priorities. You will receive a clear written proposal covering the deliverables, timescale and fee before making any commitment.

Fractional Head of Operations for Charities

The problem

Your charity has grown. Have its operations kept up?

The CEO has become the default owner of everything. Policies exist, but no one is sure when they were last reviewed. Important processes live in people's heads. Operational responsibilities are spread across a busy team. Trustees want assurance, but reporting does not always give them the full picture.

None of this means the charity is failing. It usually means it has reached the point where informal systems are no longer enough.

Does any of this sound familiar?

The CEO is carrying operations alongside strategy, fundraising and delivery.
No one has clear ownership of governance and compliance actions.
Policies and procedures have grown inconsistent or outdated.
Staff onboarding and mandatory training are difficult to track.
Key processes depend too heavily on one person.
Trustees lack a simple view of operational assurance.
The organisation needs senior operational input but cannot justify a full-time post.

You may not need another permanent employee. You do need someone accountable for getting the operational foundations right.

How I help

Senior operational support that flexes with your charity.

Three ways to work together. Start where the pressure is greatest, then adjust as things settle.

01The straightforward place to start

Operations Health Check

A focused review of your operational foundations, giving leadership and trustees a clearer view of what is working, where responsibility may be unclear and what requires attention first.

This is a proportionate operational review, not a statutory audit or legal-compliance certification.

Ask about a Health Check

What it includes

Agreed document review
Stakeholder conversations
Red, amber and green findings
Prioritised 90-day action plan
Trustee-ready summary
Findings meeting

02Turning decisions into working systems

Implementation Sprint

Defined, hands-on support to turn agreed priorities into working systems, clear responsibilities, documented processes and measurable progress.

Discuss an implementation project

Work may include

Policy registers and review schedules
Governance and compliance calendars
SOP development
Risk-management processes
Onboarding and training systems
Operational reporting
Business-continuity planning
Clarification of responsibility and escalation

03Ongoing senior operational support

Fractional Head of Operations

Ongoing senior operational support for charities that need continuity and accountability but are not ready to recruit a permanent Head of Operations.

Explore fractional support

Support may include

Leading operational priorities
Supporting the CEO and leadership team
Coordinating governance actions
Improving trustee assurance
Managing cross-organisational projects
Building scalable systems
Supporting organisational change

$Helena Kopec, fractional Head of Operations for charities.$

I don't just identify the gap. I help you close it.

About Helena

More than 20 years of making complicated things work.

I'm Helena Kopec.

For more than two decades, I have worked across operations, national programmes, training, education, stakeholder engagement and organisational improvement.

My experience includes working within and alongside respected organisations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and Nurse Lifeline.

Throughout my career, I have been the person trusted to understand complex work, bring people together, create structure and keep important programmes moving.

I understand what happens when organisations grow faster than their internal capacity. Responsibilities become fragmented, processes live in people's heads and the CEO becomes the default owner of everything.

My role is to bring clarity, establish ownership and help turn operational pressure into practical action. I do not simply identify what needs attention and leave your team with another report. Where agreed, I can help implement the improvements too.

Limited programme

Could your charity become a founding partner?

I am inviting a small number of growing charities to participate in a founding Operations Health Check programme. Selected organisations will receive a structured review of their operational foundations and a prioritised action plan at no professional fee.

In return, I will ask for honest feedback and participation in a short case-study conversation. There is no requirement to provide a positive testimonial and no obligation to purchase further support.

Apply for a founding partner place

How the programme works

Places are limited.
Participation is subject to suitability and an agreed scope.
The charity must be willing to provide agreed documents and stakeholder time.
Specialist professional advice and third-party expenses are not included.

How it starts

Clear, contained and pressure-free.

01
Tell me what is happening
Complete the short enquiry form and say what is creating the most pressure.
02
Clarify what you need
We discuss the pressures, priorities and type of support that may be appropriate.
03
Receive a clear proposal
You receive a straightforward scope, deliverables, timescale and fee. No pressure and no surprise costs.
04
Start with the right support
Begin with a Health Check, a defined implementation project or ongoing fractional support.

FAQs

Straight answers to the usual questions.

If your question is not here, ask it in the enquiry form and I will answer honestly, even if the answer is that I am not the right person to help.

Your charity needs operational leadership. It doesn't necessarily need another permanent salary.